Peterborough insurance giant appoints Sky boss to its board of directors

Stephen Van Rooyen has just been appointed as a non executive director of Peterborough-based BGL.

Stephen van Rooyen, who was made chief executive of Sky UK and Ireland in March 2016, has extensive digital and market experience and has been appointed to help develop BGL’s extensive digital and data operations.

The BGL Group, which employs 1,800 people at its head office in Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, is a leading digital distributor of insurance and household financial services with high profile brands including comparethemarket.com and online life insurer BeagleStreet.com

Chairman Peter Winslow said: “I am delighted to welcome Stephen to the BGL Board.

“He has a deep understanding of how to build digital propositions which appeal to customers and his executive experience at one of the UK’s best-known consumer brands will help us further enhance our core capabilities in digital, data and marketing.

“I look forward to working with Stephen and the rest of the Board as we continue to build BGL Group’s position as one of the UK’s leading digital financial services firms.”

Mr van Rooyen has been with Sky for more than 10 years during which he has been chief marketing and digital officer, managing director for sales, marketing and brand, and director of product management and product marketing.

He was previously director of strategy and planning at ntl:telewest and director of business development at News International.

From 2013 to 2016 he served as a non-executive director with Johnston Press, the owner of the Peterborough Telegraph.

Leading Peterborough employer secures £675 million injection from international investment company